1 Thus, There Was Light

When the universe was born, there was no light. In the vast darkness there existed only three things: the air, the darkness itself which engulfed the universe, and the Blind.

The Blind were the first born in the vast darkness. In the everlasting black of the beginning, the only thing to support their existence was the air, which was spread all across the universe, allowing for them to travel wherever they pleased. The air, thinly spread as it was, was too sparse for them to comfortably breathe, so the Blind gathered the air, forming dense capsules of air around themselves. And so, for a time the novelty of existence and travel kept them amused. Then, they grew bored, and seeking amusement, they set out to create their own entertainment.

They gathered more of the air, gently condensing it until it formed particles, and until those particles formed liquids, and until those liquids formed solids. And so, they created the material world in the universe. Their boredom eased. While they could not see in the darkness, the feeling of material brought them great joy and, for a time, they reveled in the wonders they created. However, the material world was too uniform!

Everything was the same, and so the Blind sought to set their creations apart. They took the materials they created and tenderly manipulated them. Some had holes and crevices, some were big or small, some were rough or smooth. And so, they created texture in the universe. Once again, they delighted in the wonders they created, and all was good in the vast expanse. But soon they encountered the everlasting curse which was boredom. They were no longer satisfied with simply feeling their creation, they wanted to see what they made!

They reached out their hands, grasping the ethereal and ever present darkness that engulfed their creations and they attempted to separate them. They attempted to split the dark, creating light darks and dark darks, and all the darks in between. And, for the first time, they met with failure. They separated the dark, creating color throughout the universe, yet there was nothing to show them what they made. In their rage, they took their creations and tossed them, causing some to crash against each other. For a brief moment, they caught sight of a fleeting existence, one which seemed to truly split apart the immutable darkness, its counterpart. Enthralled by the scene, they froze for a moment. Then, they took action.

They grabbed their creations and began banging them against each other, breaking them, creating the debris in the universe, and sparks which, for mere moments, seemed to almost vanquish the dark, but it wasn't enough. The Blind, in their efforts to see their creations, made a decision. Everyone, both young and old, large and small, would take their creations and, in unison, strike them together. Taking their creations in hands, the Blind took time from universe and quantified it, giving it a clear number and, counting together, counted down. Finally, when it was time, they struck.

All throughout the universe sparks flew and, for a moment, the Blind finally saw all they created. The material world in all its unique textures and colors was shown before their eyes, and they were left in awe. Then, the thin veil of air throughout the universe, and the capsule which encompassed the Blind, ignited. The planets, burning hot, emitted smoke, which would later wrap around them and become the atmospheres. The youth of the Blind, who's capsules were too small to stay lit, became the first gas giants, their ashes spreading throughout the atmosphere. The adults and elderly, large as their capsules were, burst into balls of fire which seemed to stay lit in what was now the void, an expanse with almost no air left in it. They became the stars and nebula clouds which would shine upon the universe forevermore. Thus, there was light.